


Here For A Reason - Part 11

by LoveYourArtFriend



Series: Here For A Reason [11]
Category: American (US) Actor RPF, Captain America - All Media Types, Chris Evans - Fandom, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Romance, Steve Rogers Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2020-05-14 21:35:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19281637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveYourArtFriend/pseuds/LoveYourArtFriend





	Here For A Reason - Part 11

He stood at the bar and purposely watched her chat with Natasha. Since she met the team, that fateful day a year ago, Nat had latched onto her like a sister. Their relationship grew as they worked hard, trained hard and played hard. It was perfect. In fact, as he scanned the room and looked at his team members, he recalled all their relationships with her. They were all perfect….each of them, in their own special way…..even Tony’s. He smiled and chuckled to himself. 

After their return from Germany, Steve couldn’t leave her side. It started on the Quinjet. She developed a massive headache and Clint made her eat and drink some food and water they brought. He surmised it was because they were under nourished but Steve saw her hand clinging to the back of her neck. When her nose bled, he knew there was something more to it than nourishment. 

They had both lost weight and she slept, on and off again, for three days before feeling somewhat normal. Steve was back on duty within a couple of days, cursing that she was still struggling with headaches and nosebleeds, although she never complained.

Then there were the burns. She knew her hair would eventually grow back and she was careful to treat her hand and facial burns and blisters with Bruce’s serum so they didn’t scar. Their conversation about her ear was very one-sided as Bruce treated the dead and blackened skin. She knew she was going to lose the top of it and suppressed her feelings for a couple of days until Tony teased her about creating a holographic ear. She somewhat lost her shit, unsure whether to find it funny or not. But Bruce was unsettled with the situation and arranged for a colleague of his to pay her a visit. South Korean Geneticist, Dr. Helen Cho was up-and-coming in the field of Bioregeneration and recreated the tip of her ear by regrowing her healthy skin at an expedient rate. 

Fury didn't let the incident go without contributing his two cents worth. He raised Hell about leaving the phones in the Quinjet, a guilt she struggled with from the beginning until she and Steve discussed it at length in the cave. He had convinced her the EMP pulse would have rendered them useless if they had taken them into the compound, a truth that was difficult for her to accept. Then he had to convince Fury...and equally difficult task. 

Just a couple days ago she started to feel better - no headaches or nosebleeds, more color in her cheeks and a one pound weight gain. Steve kept an eye on her as she trained in the gym, working out any residual cave kinks. She wanted to go back on active duty but he noticed she continued to favor the back of her neck.

It was a week since their return from Germany. Tony threw a “Welcome Home’ party once she felt better and there Steve stood, at the bar, watching her interact with Natasha. Clint sauntered over to the ladies and sat on the edge of the chair beside them. He reached up and touched the tip of her ear, impressed and amazed at how it looked and felt. “Now you can tell everyone you’re partially made of plastic,” he joked. She and Natasha wasted no time in hauling off and each punching him in a shoulder. The look on Clint’s face was priceless and Steve laughed aloud when the event unfolded. 

“Barton, you little shit,” she started with a smirk on her face, “You won’t be laughing if it happens to you someday.” Clint smiled and leaned in to kiss her forehead before standing to walk toward Sam and Rhodey, holding a shoulder with his free hand along the way. The ladies chuckled at him before resuming their conversation.

Steve smiled as he took the last gulp from his beer and made his way to the sofa. Leaning over to kiss the top of her head, she looked up with a loving smile. Turning his head to Natasha, he asked, “Can I borrow her for a moment?”

“Of course,” she replied, giving him a wink as he stepped around the sofa and held his hand out to her. She slipped her hand into his and stood, allowing Steve to lead her away, out to the balcony.

“Are you okay, Hun?” she asked.

“Never better,” he answered as they stood at the ledge overlooking the city lights. “It was a year ago that I first brought you out here,” he recalled, wrapping his arms around her. 

“You’re right, it was,” she smiled, sliding her hands to the back of his neck.

“And it was a year ago that I first did this,” he leaned into her and placed his lips to hers, gently, softly, lovingly. She moved her hands to cup his face until their lips parted. He smiled at her, noticing she had a slight look of confusion in her eyes. He had the upper hand and was loving the fact that she couldn’t figure out what was going through his mind at that moment. “I love you so much,” he confessed.

“I love you, too,” she swiped her thumb across his cheekbone before settling her hands on his chest. Her expression still dictated confusion.

“I was watching you in there,” he swayed his head a bit to indicate back inside. “I watched and I learned a few things.”

“You did? What did you learn?” she asked softly.

“I learned that, first off, I can’t take my eyes off you,” he chuckled and she blushed. “Second,” he composed himself, “I learned that no matter which one of the team you’re with, you’re loved, immensely and that warms my heart. A year ago, you met this team and I don’t think any of them would disagree that you are perfect for us. Nick brought you here for a reason and I believe it was to create balance for this crazy, dysfunctional family.” She giggled at his sincerity. “Which brings me to my third.” He took in a deep breath. “I learned that you loved and trusted me, Steve Rogers, unconditionally, through everything we’ve accomplished this past year, both professionally and personally. With all the catching up I’ve had to do, you never hesitated to be my guide, my rock, my friend. Because of you, I am more at peace with my past. Because of you, the present is more than I could have ever hoped for. You became the partner I can’t live without and because of you, I want it to be us,” he breathed, “spending our future together.”

He dropped his hand from her waist and pushed it into his pants pocket. Her eyes went wide as she saw him pull out a small box and hold it in front of her.

She inhaled sharply as he opened the box, exposing a beautiful diamond ring. He wasted no time getting down on one knee, a nervous expression on his face as he continued, “(F/n), would you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

It took less than a second for her decision to escape her lips, “I would love nothing more than to be your wife,” she smiled as a tear trickled down her cheek. Steve stood and caressed her cheek to wipe away the rogue droplet. 

He carefully removed the ring from the box and with great pride, took her hand in his and placed it on the finger it was destined to occupy. They looked at it with smiles on their faces before he kissed her fingers and held her hand tight. He wrapped his other hand around the back of her head and brought her in for a passionate kiss that seemed like it lasted for hours. His lips so soft against hers, moving in tandem to claim her. His nerves calming as he felt her free hand run up his chest, around the back of his neck and into his hair. If only she knew what that truly did to him. 

He slightly tugged on her lower lip before he reluctantly broke the kiss with many smaller kisses to follow down her jaw and toward her collarbone. If only he knew what that truly did to her. 

A shallow gasp escaped her as he brought his forehead to hers. “You have made me the happiest man on the planet. I love you, (F/n).”

“I love you more,” she smiled, making his heart melt and a grin stretch from ear to ear.

“Shall we?” he held out his arm to lead her inside.

“Rogers!” Tony taunted from across the room, “What are you doing stealing my drinking buddy away from me?” he smirked as he walked toward them with and extra beverage in his hand….her favorite. “Hope you weren’t having a hot and heavy makeout session on my balcony.”

All heads turned toward them as she retorted with a smirk, “Well, kind of.” She held up her hand for all to see the sparkling promise of marriage that resided on her finger.

~~~~~~

“I honestly didn’t expect the party to go that late,” she smiled as she carried her heels in one hand, Steve’s hand holding her other. They exited the elevator on her floor and stood facing each other. She dropped her shoes to the ground.

“Well,” he brought her ring finger to his lips for a tiny kiss, “we couldn’t exactly drop a bomb like that on the team and not have Tony kick it into high gear.” She giggled knowing it was the truth and the fact that he said ‘kick it into high gear.’ “What’s so funny?” he smiled at her.

“Your choice of modern phrasing,” she brought her hand up to his neck and ran her thumbs along his jawline.

“I’m getting there,” he smiled and turned his head, kissing the palm of her hand. He directed his eyes back to hers and stood there, staring into her soul. She didn’t question him, just kept eye contact with him. “I am without words as to how you made me feel tonight.”

“As am I,” she smiled sweetly, feeling his fingers peruse over the endowment on her finger. 

He took a step forward to close the gap, if there truly was one. “I love you so much,” he leaned down and sealed her lips with his - passion in his movement that didn’t go unnoticed. He brought his arms around her waist and slowly brought a hand up her back and neck, settling it in her hair and holding her to him. She felt his grip on her, not that she was complaining so she ran both hands up into his hair. A low moan escaped him as he broke from her lips and trailed his mouth along her jaw, neck and down to her collarbone. A breath hitched in her throat as he found and licked her favorite spot of skin, the spot he knew drove her crazy. She felt this passion in him before, a passion that seemed uncharacteristic of Steve Rogers’ nature. He was often torn between want and resist, abstinence and love. 

Wanting desperately to hold her close to his body and feel the warmth of her skin, he finally put aside his fears. It was time to commit himself to her, if she was willing. He kissed her skin several times before nestling his face into her neck and asking, “Can I………...stay...with you tonight?” His breathing was nervous, erratic as he awaited her response. 

“Yes. Please….stay with me,” she whispered across his ear. He raised his head to see her face, the face he loved, smiling back at him. Her hands slid out of his hair and cupped his cheeks. She forced her lips onto his to reassure him of her response. Wanting to feel his body as one with hers, she put aside her fears. It was time to commit herself to him…..she was ready.

~~~~~~

Bzzz.

Bzzz.

“Mmmmph,” she grunted as she cracked an eye open to peek at the nightstand.

An arm reached over her body to lift the phone that blazed its glorious light from the new text received. “I’m sorry, Sweetheart,” came his soft voice to her ear. A gentle kiss placed on her lobe sealed the deal and she shut her one eye, knowing he’d take care of the issue. His arm returned the gadget to the table then nestled around her waist. She was comfortable as she could feel the heat radiating off his body but knew he’d have to leave soon, taking the warmth with him. 

“Everything okay?” she spoke while her face remained squished in her pillow.

“Fury needs us in an hour.”

“Ohhhhhh, that sucks,” she muttered. He started to place warm kisses on the back of her neck and shoulder. “Wait, what? Us?” she jolted.

Steve chuckled as he kissed her hair. “Yes, Ma’am. You’re back on active duty today.” She let out the loudest groan she could muster, causing him to laugh heartily, vibrating their bodies simultaneously. She wanted to get back to work in the worst of ways but that morning? Of all the mornings! “I know,” he laughed as he held her tighter, “Fury’s timing is always awful. But,” he breathed, “I will make us breakfast if you want to shower first.”

“Thank you. You’re wonderful,” she kissed his arm. She tried to get up but his grip was still strong, deliberately enforcing that he didn’t want her to leave quite yet.

“No. Thank you, (F/n).”

She turned in his arms to face him. “For what?” She reached up and put her hand on his cheek, her ring gleaming in the early morning rays of sun as she felt his stubble.

“For being you. For saying yes. For……..last night.”

She had no words. How could she? What they shared last night was beautiful and loving. His tender kisses all over her skin and the gentle touch of her roaming hands on his body was so sensual. They took their time and explored each other until their passion peaked. Glistening bodies absorbing each other’s desire after craving it for so long. 

She smiled as a heavy blush rose up her cheeks. Leaning toward her, Steve kissed her forehead and held her tightly. Her free arm wrapped around his torso as their naked bodies entwined as one. “I love you so much,” he affirmed.

“You are my everything, Steve,” she breathed. “I will love you until the end of time,” she kissed his chest before settling in against him for a few more minutes of togetherness. She listened to his heartbeat and was totally captivated by his aura. He was her man - mind, body and spirit.

~~~~~~

“Good morning, Sir,” she spoke as she entered Fury’s office, followed by Steve. Clint and Natasha were already there and seated at the table.

“(L/n), ‘bout time you got your ass back to work.” She chuckled as he approached her. His comments never phased her, she always knew what he meant. He brought her in for a hug then turned her head to look at her ear. “The doctor does good work,” he commented, “although you’re too skinny,” he grabbed her hands and held her arms out to take a look at her.

“I’m working on it, Sir,” she smiled.

The corner of his mouth turned up a millimeter on one side, a slight smirk in the making, until something made the smirk go away. He looked in her eye with a strange expression on his face.

“What is it, Sir?” she asked, concerned.

He brought her left hand in front of him and released his grip, exposing the new accessory on her finger. His demeanor changed, softened, as he looked back into her eyes. The roles reversed and she was now worried, wondering if the engagement wouldn’t sit well with the Director. Steve stood behind her.

“When did this happen?” he asked rather bluntly.

“Last night,” Steve replied, a slight hint of worry in his voice.

Fury stood and looked at them both for what seemed like an eternity, rather than the mere seconds that actually ticked away. He drew in a large breath and she thought he was going to drop a bomb on them. Instead, he brought both his large hands to her face and cupped her cheeks. He leaned forward to kiss her forehead then looked her straight in the eye, “I am so happy for you.” He pulled her in for a large hug and extended his hand to Steve, “Captain!” They shook hands as he continued, “You two have been inseparable from day one. I think you were truly meant for each other. Congratulations, Rogers…...you better take good care of her.”

“Thank you, Nick, I definitely will,” Steve replied, happy that he approved.

“Thank you, Nick,” she kissed his cheek before unlatching herself from his body.

“Alright then,” he turned toward the table, “Let’s get back to work because this little problem is becoming a thorn in my ass.”

She smirked as she took a seat at the table, briefly wrapping her arms around Nat for a hug and reaching beyond to give Clint a light punch in the shoulder. He actually flinched a bit. Steve filed in beside her as Fury brought up a map of New York State on the big screen in front of them.

“Albany,” he pointed on the map. “My sources tell me there’s been some activity there that have HYDRA signatures to it. F/n’s data drive wasn’t fully disabled by the EMP but the intel was fractured. I still have people working on it but at the same time, signatures from that drive match the signatures that we’re seeing a little too close to home for my liking. We were looking for enhancement facilities in Europe when we sent you two to Germany so I hope to Hell they’ve not expanded their operations to American soil. I need that threat eliminated.”

“Visuals,” he changed the image, displaying a closer proximity map on one side and a picture of a black van on the other. He pointed to a small area on the map, “We’ve narrowed a perimeter to this area,” he circled the map. “Witnesses have been reporting black cargo vans picking up street people from random areas. They’re not being forced, they’re going willingly. These people have nothing to lose and are probably being offered the obvious like food and shelter and unknowingly being taken to a warehouse somewhere to be experimented on. Who knows what technological enhancements they’re capable of. If they’re successful, they could end up having a HYDRA army infiltrate throughout the country, including the government…..and S.H.I.E.L.D. I am not playing Welcome Wagon to these assholes. I want them annihilated.”

The screen flipped to more photos as Fury continued. “This person has been seen at every van pick up. Obviously armed and dangerous but we can’t do facial recognition while he’s wearing that mask. Looks like a metal arm so he could be enhanced, not sure. Could be the leader, not sure.”

She took in a sharp breath and quickly rose from her chair. Everyone turned toward her.

“F/n?” Nat questioned.

Steve’s hand grabbed hers, breaking her from the staring contest she had with the screen. “I’ve seen that person before.”

“Where?” Fury cut in.

“Germany.”

“What?” Steve exclaimed. “At the compound?”

“No, when we were on the jet, leaving the mountainside. There was an image, black and silver,” she pointed to the screen, “on the ledge where we slid through the brush.”

“Why didn’t you say something?” Clint spoke up.

“It was when the hatch was closing. I only briefly saw it but just thought it was my imagination. I was tired and hungry. I thought I was seeing things.”

“Nothing followed us home, Sir. We were the only aircraft in the vicinity,” Clint confirmed to Fury.

“Alright then, how the Hell did they get this close to us within a week?”

“We need to get upstate and find that facility,” Steve cut in as he stood and grabbed the mission folder from the table.

“Let me work on it,” she spoke to Steve while putting her hand on his shoulder. She turned to Fury, “Sir, can I have access to the drive I brought back?”

“I’ll have all information routed into your office.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“I want an update every hour, (L/n), if it takes you that long,” he smirked.

“Yes, Sir.” She turned and exited Fury’s office and headed straight for her own. Steve, Nat and Clint all followed her. It was like an adrenaline rush for (F/n) and the team knew it. For the past year, it was their inherent nature to be drawn in and watch her “do her thing”’ hoping to help in some small way. Now they knew how Tony felt every time she entered his lab.

She opened her computer and pulled her phone from her pocket. “Playlist five,” she spoke into it. Setting it into the base on the table, it synced with the speakers in the room and rock music flowed out. She was in her element as Steve spread the mission file across her table and she logged into the encrypted data Fury and the research team both sent her. She projected it to the big screen on the wall.

Nat started typing on her tablet, honing in on an exact location in Albany as Clint left to get everyone coffee.

“Let’s see the data file,” Steve asked over her shoulder. 

She brought it up on the screen and she let out a small groan. “Yeah, that’s a dog’s breakfast,” she commented as she split the screen showing the raw data on one side and the encryption findings on the other. She looked at it for a moment and saw a pattern that was worth exploring.

Steve noticed she started an encryption scan. Moments later, when the scan denied her access, she started another one. She tapped her pencil on her lips, her brain obviously on a path to something.

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

“Those fragments,” she paused, “they aren’t due to EMP damage.”

“How do you know?” Clint asked as he entered the room, hearing her statement.

“Because it’s allowing me to scan it. Even though it’s being denied, that just proves to me that they’re further encrypted subfiles. I’d be getting an error message if it was damaged.” She typed further and when the current scan denied her access, she began a double encryption cycle. 

She sat back briefly and brought her coffee to her lips as Steve spoke up, “So, it’s been fragmented on purpose?”

“Yes. It’s hidden data that……..woah!” The double encryption finished and a massive amount of information filled the screen. They all read for a moment before she broke the silence. “Those are people, experiments, subjects. Oh shit, there’s a lot of them.” She started typing, yet again, sorting the subjects into the corresponding file they belonged to. “I think,” she hesitated, “I think these files might be locations.”

“Nat, can you determine those locations,” Steve asked.

“Yeah, no problem.”

F/n shared the file as Steve continued, “I want to take a closer look at those subjects.”

“You got it,” she replied.

They researched for another twenty minutes before Steve notified Fury that they had made some headway. He came to her office and witnessed what he brought her to S.H.I.E.L.D. to do…...tactical and logistical brilliance. “Remind me to have you head up your own department, (L/n).”

A slight blush dusted her cheeks. “Oh, Sir, come in,” she invited as she turned off her music.

“What have you got for me, (L/n)?”

“Sir, we’ve come to find out that the data drive wasn’t damaged with the EMP pulse. It was fragmented information to begin with. So, to start from the beginning, there are three files and each file is a different HYDRA location.” Natasha projected her findings up on the screen for Fury to see. “There’s Germany, Sokovia and the United States. Nat deciphered the encryption and pinpointed the exact locations of all the facilities. The German facility is where we were, now it’s gone. The Sokovian one is here,” she pointed on the map. “Those locations did, indeed, perform actual enhancement experiments. The U.S. location was undetermined on the drive but it’s definitely Albany. Nat narrowed that signature to here,” she pointed again. We determined that the fragment breaks in the data were actually double encrypted data, which we decoded and sifted through.”

“What did you find?” Fury asked.

“Test subjects,” she stated bluntly. “It looks like some volunteered for this and others were captured, cooperative and uncooperative. They underwent various procedures which we are categorizing right now, but there are so many, Sir. We’ll never know what enhancement an individual has until they use it. But, there was a file in there that was different from the others.” She brought it up on the screen. “This one is labelled ‘Winter Soldier’ and its data has been collected as far back as World War II. There were dozens of subjects in that file, all deceased except for one that’s listed as John Doe. According to the data, John Doe is still living and active.”

“How the Hell can that be?” Fury interjected. “That would make them Rogers’ age,” he pointed at Steve.

“You are correct, Sir. Anyone from that era would be nearing the age of one hundred.” She looked at Steve and kept speaking. “Steve and I discussed this and he didn’t recall any such HYDRA initiative when he dealt with Red Skull. The timeline fits Steve’s but who knows how accurate the entries are. We’re still picking away at it, Sir.”

“Send it back to Research and let them pick at it. I want you four to get your asses on a jet to Albany. Take a team and secure any enhanced but I want the head asshole brought to me.”

“Yes, Sir,” the ladies replied, simultaneously.

Clint stood after Fury left the room, “We’re going to need a bigger jet.”

~~~~~~

The Quinjet remained in stealth mode as it landed in an industrial lot a couple blocks away from the warehouse. The team assembled before heading out on foot to that damned building deemed HYDRA. The plan had been set by (F/n) and Steve headed the team under his command. Clint climbed to a rooftop close by, watching for movement and guarding the North side of the warehouse. Steve, Nat and (F/n) each took a couple S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and stormed the remaining sides. To their surprise, the warehouse was vacant. 

“Huh? Here we go again,” Nat spoke.

“What do you mean?” Steve asked.

“The HYDRA base in Germany was deserted when we came to find you two.”

“Odd,” (F/n) spoke, her mind reeling as she approached a desk located toward the south wall. “Not like HYDRA to run and hide so where are all the enhanced specimens?” There was a pile of paperwork on the desk so she opened a file that was written in German. Inside was a photo of a woman and some statistics and notes. As she flipped the first page, further notes were written in English. This poor person was a test subject and as she turned to the final page, DECEASED was boldly stamped across the sheet. “Maybe they’ve all perished.”

“Ma’am?” the agent asked.

She turned to her accompanying agents, “Sorry, just speculating. I’m going to take all the files I can find back to S.H.I.E.L.D.,” she reached below the desk to pick up the conveniently empty and available box sitting underneath. “I’ll pack these up if you two continue sweeping and meet up with Agent Romanoff’s team.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” they replied in unison.

She began piling her findings in the box and opening the drawers to the desk and filing cabinets. They were empty so she started on the next desk, about twenty feet away. That desk was clear except for one file in the top drawer. She opened the file to check its contents and read:

HYDRA Black Forest Site  
Captain Steven Rogers-Serum  
Female-unknown  
Winter Soldier protocol  
Female-tracker  
Stark Tower, NY, USA

Her heart jumped into her throat and she almost vomited.

“All clear, top floor,” Nat confirmed through the comms.

She sat on the chair beside the desk, rereading the words in the file.

“Basement clear,” Steve confirmed. “We’re coming back up. (F/n), are you ready?” Steve asked.

Her brain scanned the memories of the past week, trying to quickly come up with answers to piece this puzzle together. She muttered, “Compound, no. Forest, probably not.”

“(F/n)?”

“Mountainside, no. We were there for three days then they came,” she pointed in Nat and Clint’s proverbial directions as she droned on, under her breath. 

“Nat, where’s (F/n)?”

Nat walked over to her and put her hand to her ear, “I’m with her, she’s ready. (F/n), what’s the matter?” She showed Nat the file. Nat read the information and her face went pale. She shot her eyes back to her friend, a look of horror in her features. “Steve, we need to get back to the Tower.”

“Why?”

“We’ve been set up, purposely pulled away. We have to go back, NOW!!” She watched as (F/n) continued to babble on, eyes glazed over and brain in active mode. She was still trying to solve the mystery so Nat listened carefully.

The black and silver image flashed in her brain and she took in a huge gasp. “The flare. Oh my God, Nat, the flare.”

Steve came jogging across the open warehouse. “What’s going on?” his face showing concern and confusion. Nat gave him the file as (F/n) stood from the chair. “Oh God,” he exclaimed.

“They saw the flare and found us,” she spoke loudly. “Oh shit,” she looked in Steve’s eyes. “That soldier on the ledge, the black and silver image I saw…..oh my God, he shot me!” Her hand went to the back of her neck. “He shot a tracker into me!” her face showing sheer panic.

“Yup,” Nat stated, “gotta go. Barton, we’re coming out.”

“You’re clear,” he responded.

One of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents grabbed the box of files as Nat instructed and she led them out to meet up with Clint. Together, they took the agents back toward the jet as Steve and (F/n) stayed back for a moment. He took her face in his hands looked her in the eye, “Are you sure?” Her hand still holding her neck, she nodded. He spun her around and moved her hair out of the way. “Let me see,” he stated as he gently pulled her hand away. He scanned her skin and found only a small, pink dot, probably the entrance of the tracking device. He ran his finger over it and it felt smooth. “I see where it went in, but there’s nothing right under the skin,” he told her, she noted the worry in his voice.

“I’m surprised JARVIS didn’t find it.”

“I don’t think anyone thought there would be a need to scan us when we returned,” Steve stated as he tried to turn her back around to face him.

“He should have detected it the moment we entered the Tower. He wouldn’t have needed to be asked,” her eyes darted back and forth with Steve’s.

“(F/n), what are you saying?” he asked, fear in his question because he knew that look. Her wheels were turning and she discovered something he wouldn’t like.

“For JARVIS not to notice, it has to be nanotechnology. It’s in my bloodstream, Steve,” her face starting to soften under the sad realization. “I don’t know if Tony, Bruce or even Helen will be able to get it out but until then, I’m a homing beacon for HYDRA. They,” she breathed, “they want YOU for the serum and they’re going to get to you through me.”

It was time for Steve’s wheels to start turning after she brought everything to light. Just as he was about to speak, a shot rang out and a ping resonated off the shield on his back. Steve pushed her to the floor as he crouched and tried to locate the shooter. She opened her comm to the team at the jet, “Nat, we’re taking fire in the warehouse.”

“Oh shit, where and how many?”

She peered over the desk and witnessed Steve take off toward a couple soldiers clad with the HYDRA emblem and wearing dark helmets. They continued to fire on him as she scanned around to locate more. She saw shadows looming outside the North bay of covered windows and knew there were more to come. “North side,” she yelled into the comms. “How many is unknown,” she finished as she pulled her gun and devised a plan to round the West wall to get to the door before HYDRA piled in.

“We’re on our way back,” Nat yelled as she pushed the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents out of the jet. “Barton, get this bird above the building and shoot to kill.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Clint obliged as he took off to hover above the warehouse and take out any further intruders to the building. 

Steve took out the two soldiers and immediately caught a glimpse of the lurking shadows at the entrance. He barreled through the door to handle them outside so neither of them would become cornered within the confines of the warehouse walls. 

She turned her body to dart behind the desks along the wall when she slammed into a solid object. Her gun was ripped from her hand and she almost fell over until she was grabbed and brought to an upright position, by her neck, a foot from the floor. “Shit,” she squeaked.

“(F/n), are you okay?” Steve blared through her earpiece.

“Peachy,” her voice resonated distortion. She feverishly tried to pry the hand off the left side of her neck, fingers extending to the front, over her windpipe. Whatever had her was metal and it wasn’t budging. Her legs flailed and when she mustered the strength, she launched a leg behind her, kicking the object that held her in the air. The hand released her and she surprisingly fell to the floor. Her hands quickly pulling the knife from her leg holster, she turned and whipped it, only to see it hit and bounce away. 

There he stood, the image she had seen before both on the mountainside and in Fury’s photos. Black and silver, metal arm, face mask. Her knife had ricocheted off his metal arm. He brought his right arm up and pointed her own gun at her. She flipped herself back and onto her feet. Reaching for the corner of the desk, she quickly grabbed the leg and flung it into a spiral as she took off along the West wall, overturning the other desks along the way. Shots were fired and came seriously close to her head as bullet holes appeared in the wall beside her. “Okay everyone,” she huffed, “Metal Arm Man is here and he’s pissed. He’s firing at me with my own gun and I’m trying to duck out the West exit. Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated.”

“Don’t go out that door, (F/n),” Steve yelled through the comms.

“Wha…..,” she abruptly jumped back from the door.

“Go to the North door.”

A barrage of bullet shells could be heard coming from outside and as she made her way along the wall, ducking from internal fire. Clint was taking care of business outside, right where she would have appeared, within the line of fire. “Jesus, this game isn’t fun anymore,” she yelled.

Steve appeared through the North door after taking down the agents outside. He tossed her his second gun and she didn’t hesitate to whip herself around to shoot without mercy. She slammed herself against the wall and hastily looked around, the Metal Arm Man nowhere to be seen. “What the Hell?”

She glanced over at Steve who had apparently not seen the soldier who was after her, but he did notice, from the distance he was at, that she had some severely red and purple marks on her neck. He signalled her to scope back along the wall she came from as he would do the same on the other side. She nodded her agreement, crouched down and skimmed back the way she came, concealing herself behind the desks that were on their sides.

The two of them could hear the Quinjet, still hovering above the building. Nat and the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had the remainder of the property surrounded. Nothing could get in or out, but the question was, who was still in.

Within seconds, a scuffle could be heard on the East side as she looked up and saw Steve fighting hand to hand with the one who previously had her in a choke hold. She raised her gun, aimed and fired at the man in black but after giving Steve a kick to the chest, he raised his metal arm in the air. It blocked her bullet. 

“Shit.” 

Steve flipped off his back and onto his feet, continuing to barrage the man with unfriendly fists and kicks. She jumped an overturned desk and took a better stance. Two quick shots landed in the man’s knees, forcing him to buckle to the ground. He tried to grab the gun from his back but Steve swung his shield around and hit him in the face. The impact knocked him out and when his body hit the ground, it sent his mask flying. 

Steve grabbed all the weapons off the unconscious man as she ran over, “Nat, we got him. I need agents to detain him and a medic.”

“Coming at you from the East,” Nat confirmed as they could hear the Quinjet land in the empty lot on the opposite side of the building.

Seven S.H.I.E.L.D. agents thrust the warehouse door open and made their way to Steve’s side. She bent down to collect her gun and brush the hair from the Metal Arm Man’s face after the mask flew off. Her loud gasp for air startled the agents and Steve as he attached the final HYDRA weapon to his belt.

“What’s the matter?” he asked her after his mild jump scare. 

The look on her face was a combination of shock and sadness as the color drained completely from her skin. She couldn’t speak.

He took a step toward her and looked down at the man, “What’s wro……”

…….

…….

…….

She raised her shaky hands to her mouth as tears started to crest at the corner of her eyes. Steve stood there, his face twisted in disbelief. When he could finally muster it, he whispered, “Bucky?”


End file.
